Nigeria MDGs End-point Report 2015

Nigeria MDGs End-point Report 2015

November 2, 2015

This End-point Report is a necessary reminder of the commitment Nigeria made at the Millennium Summit to implement appropriate policies to improve the lives of the millions of its people who suffer from poverty, illiteracy and disease. Beyond reminding us of these commitments, the report evaluates the progress made in specific and measurable terms.

The Nigerian experience presents a bag of mixed results. Thus, while we have seen progress in some areas, critical challenges still remain in others. On the positive side, Nigeria used the MDG framework to improve its hitherto very poor health indices and low-gender parity index, among other indicators.

The efforts translated into the reduction of maternal and child mortality, and getting Nigeria on the way to eradicating polio through effective national and international partnership. Moreover, these efforts aided the reduction in the spread of malaria and HIV and AIDS; and achievement of higher net enrolment rate in basic education and gender parity in the primary school. They also led to improved access to safe drinking water. On the negative side, however, Nigeria still has a lot to do to improve access to good sanitation facilities and curb the menace of climate change and other  environmental challenges such as pollution, desertification, erosion, and flooding.

Country status in meeting the MDGs promise

  • Poverty levels declined from 65.6% in 1996 to 45.5% in 2010; short of target (21.4%) by 24.1%.
  • Basic Education net enrolment declined from of 60% in 1995 to 54% in 2013 largely due to insecurity in schools.
  • The prevailing patriarchal culture and practices remain a major factor against women’s access to elective positions in the country.
  • Nigeria has also recorded strong progress in the effort to eradicate polio and recently celebrated one year without polio from July 2014 to July 2015.
  • The prevalence of HIV among pregnant young women aged 15–24 years has steadily declined from 5.4% in 2000 to 4.1% in 2010.
  • Nigeria has made appreciable progress in improving households’ access to safe drinking water with an end-point status in 2015 at 67.0% access.
  • The growth in the number of cellular phone subscribers and the tele-density per 100 people standing at 77.8 and 99.3, respectively, in 2014 signifies wide coverage.